Manufacturing an air compressor assembly is a time consuming and expensive process. It conventionally requires the use of several manufacturing cells. For example, air compressors and motors may be built and assembled in one cell, and air tanks may be welded and fabricated in a separate cell. One way to reduce size and capital expense and to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing cells is to include air tank welding and fabrication and final assembly of the air compressor assembly in a single cell. However, after welding, the air tank is typically too hot to allow assemblers to begin final assembly. This may greatly decrease the manufacturing efficiency. Moreover, the welding process may reduce the corrosion resistance of the air tank metal in the heat-affected zones of the tank, adversely affecting the quality of the air tank.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method for manufacturing an air compressor assembly that enhances both the manufacturing efficiency and the air tank quality.